Thoughts & Things

10 Authors of Multiple Banned Books

Today is the second day of Banned Books Week. Books that are banned or challenged (a challenge is when someone attempts to have a book banned) can often be taken right from the hands of those who need them the most. Rather than thinking critically, many people choose to attack the books instead. Some authors are particularly adept at writing about ideas that make people uncomfortable, and so we end up with a number of names who consistently make lists of banned books.

To compile this list, I referenced the ALA's list of the 100 frequently most challenged or banned books for the 1990s, and the equivalent 100 list for the 2000s. While books have been banned much further back than the 1990s, and much more recently than the 2000s, these are the tidiest sources for frequently banned books. There are other authors with multiple books that have been banned, but today we will look at just ten notables.

J.K. Rowling
From the very beginning of her career as an author in the 1990s until present, many people have striven towards the banning of Rowling's complete Harry Potter series, which consists of seven books. The reasons behind this seem to be frequently cited as promoting witchcraft and satanism. The challenges put up by majority Christian objectors have done little to nothing to stymie the popularity of the series.

Alvin Schwartz
Any child of the 90s might recall Schwartz's Scary Stories series, which started with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. In both the 90s and 00s, this series managed to make the top 100 most challenged or banned books list for being too scary for the targeted age group. Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat also made the list for the 90s, as it talked about superstitions.

Toni Morrison
Morrison's books often tell stories featuring hard hitting issues, such as racism, child abuse, and slavery. Although these issues are tackled with an unparalleled literary grace, many people have attempted to have her works banned for being too graphic. The Bluest Eye, Beloved, and Son of Solomon were all among the most banned books in the 90s and 00s.

Caroline B. Cooney
Cooney has made a career out of providing darker mysteries for a younger audience (MG or YA typically), however many parents believe her work is simply too dark for a younger audience. Face On The Milk Carton has faced challenges and bans since its publication in 1990. The Terrorist, first published in 1997, faced challenges in the 00s due to allegations of racism (and acts as a fine example of banned books not necessarily making for quality literature).

Katherine Paterson
Paterson is best known for her moving novel Bridge to Terabithia.Bridge to Terabithia also happens to be a target for censors, usually either because they believe death is too difficult a topic for children, or for religious reasons. The Great Gilly Hopkins, although slightly less known, makes the list for both decades as well, as the main character has a slight potty mouth.

R.L. Stine
R.L. Stine is well known for his ability to produce horror stories for a middle grade or young adult audience. Goosebumps is a childhood staple, particularly of the 90s and 00s, so naturally the series was a target for bans in both decades. Many parents believed that the entire series was entirely too frightening for children, while other parents attacked the series for featuring occult or satanic themes.

Stephen King
Horror for adults is not off the hook when it comes to censorship either. King has found himself subject to book challenges and bans for most of his career. In the 1990s, he actually had four books make the top 100; Cujo, Carrie, the Dead Zone, and Christine. Reasons for challenges often seem to come down to "filthy" language, and his content being "inappropriate" for children.

Lois Lowry
Lowry has written many books for middle grade and young adult audiences, many of which deal with serious issues. The Giver is one of her best known books, and it was among the top 100 banned or challenged books for both the 90s and the 00s. Typically it is challenged because people believe it is violent or inappropriate for children. Lowry's Anastasia series (starting with the first book Anastasia Krupnik) also faced censorship due to references to beer, Playboy, and suicide.

Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl is one of the classic authors of children's literature, so naturally many of his books faced book challenges or bans, and they did so many times. In the 1990s, two of his books managed to make the top 100 list of the most challenged or banned books of the decade. James and the Giant Peach was challenged for teaching children to disobey their parents and using the word "ass." The Witches was challenged for promoting misogyny by depicting witches as women / women as witches.

Judy Blume
Judy Blume has a rather impressive record of writing books that middle grade and young adult readers connect with that adults can't help but attempt to censor. In the 90s, Forever, Blubber, Deenie, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, and Tiger Eyes were all listed among the top 100 most challenged books. In the 00s, all of the previous books, except Deenie, made the top 100 list for the decade. Although the books deal with issues that kids face in their real lives, those who challenge the books deem them age inappropriate because real issues are too emotionally challenging for children to read about.